News that Total War: Rome II will be coming this September is welcome enough – really, it’s a fantastic strategy game that continues to be an absolute wonder to simply watch people play. The fact that there’s going to be a Collector’s Edition is also nice, if not totally surprising. But the fact the CE also includes a kit to construct a fully functional Roman siege catapult? Now that’s eye-catching. Of course, it looks a little on the simple and certainly small side. Perfect if you want to wage war on some Smurfs, or perhaps the neighbor’s garden gnome. Still, as far as enticing CE pack-ins go, it’s going to be hard to top ‘fully functional catapult’ no matter how many caveats are added into the mix.

Also included in the CE edition:

Numbered copy of Total War™: ROME II

The most ambitious and expansive game in the Total War™ series to date, ROME II brings the statecraft, politics, intrigue, diplomacy and epic battles of the ancient world to life in thrilling detail. This version comes in a debossed Steelbook™ case, laser-etched with your unique collector’s number in Roman numerals.

Tabula set

The Roman forerunner to Backgammon, this Tabula set comprises 30 bone-effect game-pieces supplied in their own burlap drawstring bag, while the board is built into the base of the Collector’s Edition box.

Tesserae Dice

Three replica bone-effect dice for use in a variety of games. The design is based on original Roman Tesserae, found at the archaeological site of Herculaneum.

Designed from the ground up to echo elements from ROME II, Total War Cards is a game of skill and luck for two players. Involving combat, territorial control, resource management and technological development, PUNIC WARS consists of 58 high-quality playing cards and a game-board printed with the PUNIC WARS tech-tree.

Canvas Campaign Map

A reminder of the worlds you must conquer, this ribbon-tied canvas map depicts each of the 57 provinces of the ROME II campaign.

Roman Onager

A complete, fully-functional Onager, or Roman siege catapult. This easy-to-assemble kit is constructed from weathered wood and steel, measures 26cm x 12cm x 12cm, and is capable of unleashing mall projectiles at a variety of inanimate objects which may have affronted the glory of your empire.

That’s actually quite a nice collection of neat little toys and knick-knacks. On the other hand, it damn well better be – this limited run collector’s edition costs $155 USD for the American version, and I imagine there costs are similar or even higher everywhere else in the world. The wiki page details all of this, plus contains links for those who wish to pre-order the game and guarantee their eventual acquisition of tiny catapult and assorted bone-effect accessories. It’s a good day to be a Total War fan with money to burn.